Creating a Family
by Pearl Bramble of Willowbottom
Summary: What if the back of the wardrobe door didn't open to Narnia?  What if instead, it opened seventy three years into the future?  When the Pevensie children come to live with one woman in modern America, all five of their lives will be changed forever.
1. Chapter 1: A Break In and A Surprise Gue

Creating a Family

Chapter One

A Break In and A Surprise Guest

Author's Note: I've had this idea in my head since December 15th of this year for whatever reason, which insists to be written down. I have no idea how long I'm going to be continuing this story, or even if I'll have time to finish the series that goes along with it, since I'm in college right now, and will hopefully continue to be in college for at least a few years to get my master's degree. This, of course, means less time for writing, so my updates will be sporadic.

Finally getting back from my tediously scholastic classes, I dropped my backpack off and grabbed a snack, preparing myself for the four hours of receptionist work that was my part time job. A moment later, I heard a noise from inside my house. Freezing, I listened carefully, holding onto my purse and fingering my phone, reading to dial the police if I needed to.

Looking behind me, I noticed that the front door was only a few steps away. But, at the same time, I was living in a big city, where the noise could have been caused from burglars. The last thing I needed was to get shot by a surprised thief.

Quietly unzipping my purse and gripping my small flashlight, I clicked it on and shined the light in front of myself, muttering a quick prayer of thanks that I took those two defense classes while getting my Bachelor's degree in the community college I attended the year before. A moment later, my light shined on a little girl who wore a brownish, putrid green colored sweater, blouse and matching skirt, chin length brown hair with a red tint to it, with a grey bow pulling back the right side of her hair. The little girl looked to be between the ages of eight to ten, dressed in clothes I'd seen in World War 2 movies and museums.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my apartment?" I only relaxed my tone of voice slightly, not wanting to be wrongly accused of kidnapping. How did the kid get into my apartment in the first place, I wondered, as I continued to watch the little girl.

"I got in from there," the little girl replied, pointing toward my bedroom. I frowned at this, wondering if she had gotten in through my window. Quickly walking to my room, I flicked on the bedroom light and noticed my window's glass wasn't cracked and the screen wasn't open.

"Where did you get into my bedroom?" I asked, guessing that I had left the door unlocked, even though I habitually locked my front door when leaving the apartment building I lived in for any reason.

The little girl has followed me, and points to my closet. Shining the light to what should be the wall between the small parking lot in front of the apartment buildings and my closet, I noticed an empty room made of wood with a wooden door standing open in the middle of it, leading toward a hallway, also made of wood.

Feeling a sense of déjà vu coming over me , I turned to the little girl, feeling like I'd seen her from somewhere, even though I'd never met her. The fact that the back of my closet looked like it opened to a whole other world also made me feel like I'd seen something very much like this before.

"What's your name?" I asked slowly and cautiously, getting a feeling of apprehension from looking at the child who I'd turned to in order to ask my question.

"I'm Lucy Pevensie, pleased to meet you!" Lucy exclaimed, smiling and holding out her hand.

I sat down on my bed as a cold wave of shock descended on the inside of me. Was this Lucy Pevensie the same one who I watched in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe movie when I was about her age? The one, even though she looked different from the Wonder Works BBC version of the same story, had been one of my six imaginary friends for two and a half years when I was in elementary school?

Realizing that this little girl who claimed to be the same one from the Disney version of The Lion the Witch, and the Wardrobe, being based on the very character who I'd fallen in love with all those years ago, was the exact person who was standing in front of me right now, my vision darkened, and my hearing dimmed as I felt my mind slip into blackness.


	2. Chapter 2: Lucy Pevensie

Author's Note: Someone likes my story, yay! Anyway, here's the next chapter. Don't get used to the frequent updates though; the only reason why I'm able to write these chapters back to back is because I'm on Christmas Break. The few weeks I'm off won't last forever, though, especially during exams and finals.

By the way, I can't add another category, but there is spirituality throughout this story, just to let you know ahead of time.

Chapter Two

Lucy Pevensie

The next thing I remembered after fainting was being splashed by something both cold and wet. This, to me, is the worst way to wake up, so you can't entirely blame me for feeling more than a bit irritated when I opened my eyes. The little girl who claimed to be Lucy Pevensie was standing over me with a now empty glass of what had moments before held water. At least I hoped it was water and not something else, like my cream soda, or green tea that I loved to drink.

"Oh, you're awake! I'm so glad throwing cold water on you worked! I'd heard that's how you wake up fainted people!" Lucy exclaimed with a grin as she took my hand with the one that wasn't still holding the glass while I hoisted myself off my now wet bed, at least the end of it which got water spilled all over it. Lucy continued to chatter on about anything she could think of, which I didn't mind listening to as we walked into my living room. It wasn't until Lucy talked about how bored she was sitting in my house for three hours without anything to do that I became concerned.

"Wait, did you say that you've been here for three hours?" I gasped.

Lucy nodded, and then began chattering again, this time about how glad she was to see me even though I'd fainted and did I have anything to eat because she was hungry. I was about to fix her something, figuring that she hadn't eaten lunch, when I remembered a rule that all moral grown-ups must follow when around children who are not related to them. Always ask permission before giving a child who isn't yours food, or anything else for that matter.

"I don't think that would be a good idea, Lucy. I could get into big trouble with your parents if they found out that a stranger fed you," I explained, imagining an angry mother or father calling the police with the accusation of kidnapping.

"My dad's fighting in the war, and Mum's in Finchley, working as a nurse."

"Where are you living, then, with your mom in Finchley?" I guessed, wondering if I could call Lucy's mother and tell her that her daughter had somehow ended up at my house. For some strange reason, I got the idea that this wouldn't be a very good idea, despite how logical and common sense this solution sounded.

"No, we went to live with the professor in the countryside because of the evacuation."

What evacuation, I wondered. I hadn't heard any evacuation, even in England, which was where Lucy sounded like she was from.

"What evacuation are you talking about, Lucy?" I asked slowly, beginning to feel slightly anxious.

"The evacuation from London because of the air raids, haven't you heard about World War 2?"

I stared in shock as I realized that Lucy Pevensie really was who she claimed to be. Glad that a chair was behind me, I sat down in it, letting the feeling of my surprised discovery wash over me. I'd read stories of time travel to other dimensions, but never expected them to actually happen, or if they did, that these forms of travel would be invented far into the future, not on September 2, 2012.

Was this like when the four Pevensie siblings entered Narnia except that instead they somehow came here, to my house, seventy three years into the future? If so, would they be able to get back to England in the 1940's, where they came from? Would they be stuck here with me having to take care of the four children for the rest of their lives, at least until they could make it on their own when they legally became adults.

"What's this? It looks like a theater screen but is much smaller," Lucy pointed to my small, flat screen TV as she asked about it.

"That's the TV, and you're right, it's a lot like a theater screen, but is different because it shows half an hour to an hour long stories with commercials in between. Are you sure that you won't be missed? Your brothers and sister must be looking for you and worried about you by now."

"We're playing hide and seek, they'll never find me here," Lucy grinned.

"Well, if you say so. Why don't we watch a movie together, then I can send you back to your own place?" I suggested, bending in front of my movie wrack, trying to pick a movie that would be appropriate for an elementary school girl.

"What's a movie?" Lucy asked from behind me as I grabbed my The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe DVD.

"A movie is like a film shown in cinemas, or theaters, but you can watch it over and over again as many times as you want to."

"Is that really possible?" Lucy gasped as I put the DVD I picked out into my DVD player.

"Of course it is, all kinds of machines have been invented since the 1940's," I replied, turning my TV on, picking up my remote, and settling myself on my couch, with Lucy sitting next to me.

As the movie advertisements started, Lucy watched the commercials with anticipated fascination while I commented how I'd seen all of those movies, and had The Little Mermaid if she ever wanted to watch it.

The moment the actual movie started, however, Lucy climbed into my lap, squeezing her eyes shut and covering her ears with her hands. Turning the sound down with my remote, I reminded Lucy that this was only a movie, not reality, and if it was too scary for her, we could always chose another one to watch. At Lucy's insistence that she'd be fine watching this one, I allowed the air raid scene to keep playing, but made sure to keep the sound turned down, in case if any other scenes scared her as much as this one was.

"She looks exactly like me!" Lucy exclaimed, watching the actress who played her in this movie with fascinated curiosity.

"I know, that's the first thing I noticed about you, well, one of the first things."

"What else did you notice about me?" Lucy asked as the evacuation from London scene played on the screen in front of us.

"Your name, especially; I've known your story since I was five years old, but saw this version of the movie when I was a teenager."

Lucy didn't have any more startling reactions for the remainder of watching the movie until Aslan's death. At seeing the great lion being stabbed to death, the real Lucy burst into tears. Feeling very awkward as I sat beside the little girl, I grabbed the box of Kleenex I had on the table next to me and handed it to her. At Lucy's questioning look while holding the box, I explained that the tissues were like handkerchiefs; the only difference was that they could be thrown away, while a handkerchief had to be washed if it got too dirty.

"Why did Aslan have to die?" Lucy asked, burying her face into my clothes, while I gently circled my arm around her shoulder.

"Oh, honey," I moaned, remembering how I reacted the same way when I was about her age once I figured out what Jesus did when he allowed himself to die on the cross.

"You'll see why in just a few minutes," I reassured Lucy as she dried her eyes with her own handkerchief.

Leaving the box of Kleenex where they were, we watched Aslan's Resurrection, and I was relieved to find Lucy breaking out into a grin as Aslan stepped into the sunlight, whole and seemingly unscathed.

Lucy didn't react violently or surprisingly to any of the other scenes, which I was relieved about. Making a mental note to be careful what movie to show to this sensitive child, I let the credits roll as I tried to figure out what to do with this child if the portal didn't work. The moment the movie was over, both of us walked toward the back of my closet, where the empty room at the other side was still there.

Hugging Lucy tightly, knowing that it was highly unlikely that I'd ever see this child again, at least in this lifetime, I prayed to God silently that Lucy would return home safely, then watched as she walked through the doorway between my world and hers, turned to wave and smile at me, then ran out of the room and down the hall. I waved back, smiling grimly, then shut the closet door, feeling blessed that I had the privilege of meeting Lucy Pevensie and planned to treasure that memory in my heart forever.


	3. Chapter 3: A Misunderstood Report

Author's Note: Hey, everyone. I usually upload my chapters right away, but my internet connection was down and I had to go to a doctor's appointment and tour a college I hope to get a Master's Degree from, so it's been a busy day. Anyway, here's chapter three, prepare for some suspense!

Chapter Three

A Misunderstood Report

A few weeks passed with no visit from Lucy. While I missed the little girl, I was also relieved she didn't come back. September 19th rolled around, and while I was used to the routines that college classes and my part time job brought, I was also longing for some adventure and excitement. I didn't express my wish out loud, though. Admitting that I was dying for some adventure and excitement was like saying the bad day you were having couldn't get any worse. In some twist of fate, the person who spoke aloud what she was thinking would find out what her thoughts entailed when made into actions.

Perhaps I shouldn't have even thought about desiring adventure, because right as I was ladling soup into my bowl, I heard a noise from my bedroom. Grabbing my ladle spoon as a weapon, I raised it like a club and snuck toward my room. As I got to the doorway, I noticed the outline of a child in the darkness. Reaching for the light switch, I flicked it on and raised my "weapon" to find Lucy Pevensie standing in front of me with wide eyes.

"Lucy, what are you doing here, you should warn me before coming. Do your brothers and sister know you're here?"

"I had to see you, none of the others believed me when I told them I came here through the wardrobe and met you!"

"I see. Well, your brothers and sister are 'seeing is believing' kind of people. You have much more faith than they do, if you ask me.

"What have you been up to? It's been a few weeks since I last saw you, Lucy," I said, leading the little girl out of my bedroom.

"I've been enjoying the weather. It's been so nice ever since the rain we had a few weeks ago, and now it's raining again."

"Maybe the wardrobe only opens when it rains," I suggested as we sat at the kitchen table and I began eating my soup.

"Do you want some? I just made dinner for myself, but there's more than I can eat if you want it," I offered, figuring since no one was watching the child carefully enough, I might as well look after her while she was here.

"Oh, no thank you, I already had my supper," Lucy replied, sitting next to me.

"Okay," I shrugged, blowing on the hot soup and trying it, getting a burnt tongue for my effort.

"Are you alright?" Lucy asked as I hastily dropped my spoon with a clatter and started gulping the water that was in a glass beside my bowl.

"Fine, just burnt my tongue," I replied once I'd gotten rid of the searing feeling.

In a few minutes, Lucy was talking nonstop about anything and everything. It wasn't until we both heard the door close that Lucy fell silent.

"What was that sound?" I asked slowly, praying that what I thought I heard was wrong.

"It sounded like a door closing," Lucy replied, looking around in anticipation.

"Yes, but why would it, we're the only ones here."

"Well, my brother, Edmund, has been going on about how my world behind the wardrobe doesn't exist and teasing me about it."

"You don't think…This isn't good, this is not good," I muttered, rushing toward my front door. Opening it, I noticed a boy who looked a little older than Lucy turning a corner ahead of us. Rushing back to grab my purse and keys, then taking Lucy's hand in mine, I pulled both of us to the outside of my apartment building, locked the door, and ran after the kid whom I assumed was Lucy's brother.

By the time we reached the corner where Lucy's brother had just turned, however, the boy was nowhere in sight. The moment Lucy noticed she couldn't see her brother, she yelled his name into the night. Shushing the little girl, I pulled her back to my apartment, with the plan to call the police in mind. Once we reached my living room, I grabbed my cell phone and dialed 911.

"911, what's your emergency?" A woman's voice asked as soon as the number connected with the police station's phone.

"Hi, this is Miracle Love at Lantern Light Apartments. I need to report a missing child."

"How long has the child been missing?"

"A few minutes ago," I replied, noticing Lucy pressing her ear against the other side of the phone, after staring at it curiously when I first dialed the emergency's number.

"Are you the missing child's mother?"

"No, ma'am, I'm a friend of theirs. I was given the responsibility to look after both him and his sister. While I was talking to his sister, he must have snuck out behind me, because I heard the door close," despite my efforts to remain calm, I could feel my voice rise in panic as I imagined several different scenarios involving Edmund being hurt or killed.

"OK, calm down ma'am. What does your friend's boy look like?"

"He has short, dark brown hair, brown eyes, and freckles across an upturned nose."

"Any distinguishing features?"

"Umm, his name is Edmund Pevensie and he really likes turkish delight."

"Is this a prank call?"

"No ma'am," I replied, shocked that the woman would think such a thing.

"No one the age of a little boy is named Edmund, and no real person is named Pevensie."

"Well this one is," I replied, feeling my own blood boil at being called a liar when I wasn't one.

"You're wasting my time, and possibly someone else's life. How old are you?"

"I'm twenty five," I replied, cursing that my voice might sound younger than how old I really was.

"Then you should be old enough to know not to report about a missing child when there is none," with those words, the woman hung up on me.

I stared at my phone which was now emitting a dial tone for a few minutes. In hindsight, I should have expected not to be believed, but I was in such a panicked state that I didn't think about what others might assume if I told anyone the child's real name.

Lucy's face turned red, and tears welled up in her eyes. Just like during our last visit, the little girl flung herself at me in an embrace, and clung to my waist. This is going to be a long night, I thought, as I quickly planned to search for Edmund myself, with Lucy coming along.

"It's alright, Lucy, we'll get your brother back, I promise."

"Why didn't the police believe you, you're a grown-up," Lucy pointed out, wiping underneath her eyes with the same handkerchief she used the last time she was in my apartment.

"I think it's because the police believe that you and your brother are fictional characters, that you aren't real."

"Why would they think that?"

"Well," I began, trying to figure out how I was going to explain this concept to the little girl. "Remember the movie we watched when you first came to my apartment?"

At Lucy's nod, I continued my explanation that because of that story, people didn't know the Pevensie children existed. I added my explanation with the question of if people where she came from believed that characters in fairy tales existed. As Lucy shook her head no, realization came into her eyes, making them glow brightly for a few seconds.

"Are we going to search for my brother now?" Lucy asked, sounding worried.

"Yes, we're going in my car to look for your brother. I'm not leaving you by yourself in my apartment, after all, who knows how long it'll take to find Edmund with just the two of us looking."

With this said, both of us jumped into my car, fastened our seat belts (Lucy had to be shown how), and took off down the road in the direction we saw Edmund last.


	4. Chapter 4: Searching For Edmund

Chapter Four

Searching For Edmund

Author's Note: Hey, everyone, I finally got a bit of a break today, so here's chapter four. This one was a real struggle, so it'll be shorter than my usual ones.

Driving around the city at night already made me nervous as it was. Even though the need to find Edmund made me feel a sense of urgency, it also made my senses heighten, a habit I had when I was very nervous. Turning on the headlights, I instructed Lucy to look for her brother out the right passenger window while I looked out the left.

The only people who were wandering the streets were drug dealers, thieves, and murders, as well as the unwary people who might become innocent victims. Homeless people huddled in shelters from alleyways, and the stores lights had an eerie glow to them, like they do at night when one is tense. As you can imagine, I was the most afraid for Edmund. Thoughts of the boy being hurt or killed played over and over in my mind, like scenes from a horror movie as we continued to search for Lucy's brother.

In a few seconds, I caught sight of a boy trudging along the sidewalk. Relief flooded me, making my visions of terror all but disappear, just as long as I could get him into the car and drive him back to my house so that he and Lucy could go home. Pulling up alongside him, I rolled down my window and called down to Edmund. The boy startled at the sound of my voice, and stared at me warily.

"Edmund?" Lucy asked, unbuckling her seatbelt, getting out of the car, ignoring my insistence to get back in the vehicle, and running toward her brother. I sighed with relief as Lucy made it across the street to the sidewalk. "Oh Edmund, you got in too! Isn't it wonderful!" Lucy cried, hugging her brother around the middle.

"Where have you been?" Edmund asked grumpily.

"With Miracle Love, why did you wander off like that?"

"I wanted to see the cars; I've never seen automobiles like these before," Edmund explained, following Lucy to the other side of the car and climbing into the back seat.

After Lucy showed Edmund how to put on his seatbelt, which the boy resisted until I told him that I wasn't driving either of them home until he put on his seat belt. Hearing the resounding click of the seat belt being pushed in, I looked both ways, and turned the car around, heading for home.


End file.
